UNIT 0-AP WORLD

Where and when did modern humans first appear?

| East Africa, about 200,000–100,000 BCE

How did early humans survive?

| Hunting and gathering—hunting animals and gathering plants

What is animism?

| The belief that natural features, animals, and other parts of nature have spiritual significance.

What was the Agricultural Revolution?

| The transition from hunting and gathering to farming and animal domestication, beginning around 8000 BCE.

What was a major effect of the Agricultural Revolution?

| Food surplus led to population growth, permanent settlements, cities, and civilizations

What is specialization of labor?

| People began focusing on specific jobs instead of producing all their own food

What were major effects of the Agricultural Revolution on society?

Cities, social classes, specialized jobs, governments, taxes, technology, and writing developed

What is patriarchy?

A social system in which men generally held greater power and authority.

Where was Mesopotamia located?

| Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, mainly in modern-day Iraq.

What was Sumer known for?

| City-states and cuneiform, one of the earliest writing systems.

Where did ancient Egyptian civilization develop?

| Along the Nile River in northeastern Africa.

What characterized ancient Egyptian government?

A centralized government led by a pharaoh.

What was the Indus Valley Civilization known for?.

Planned cities, drainage systems, and cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Where did early Chinese civilization develop?

Along the Huang He (Yellow River).

What were important features of early Chinese society?

Patriarchy, ancestor veneration, and centralized political authority.

What is reincarnation in Hinduism?

The belief that the soul is reborn after death.

What are the Vedas?

Important sacred texts of Hinduism

Who founded Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha.

What is the main goal of Buddhism?

To reach nirvana and escape suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

What are the Four Noble Truths?

They explain that suffering exists, its cause, that suffering can end, and the path to end it.

What is the Eightfold Path?

A set of practices for overcoming suffering and reaching nirvana.

What is Zoroastrianism?

An ancient Persian religion centered on Ahura Mazda and the struggle between good and evil.

What were major Classical Era empires?

| Persian Empire, Greek city-states, Alexander's empire, Roman Empire, Maurya and Gupta India, and Qin and Han China.

What was a major characteristic of Classical empires?

Large governments, armies, taxation systems, and infrastructure helped them control large territories.

What were the Silk Roads?

Trade networks connecting East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

What spread along trade networks besides goods?

Religions, technologies, ideas, cultures, and diseases.

How did Buddhism spread?

Missionaries and merchants carried it along trade networks, especially the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean routes.

How did Christianity spread?

Missionaries and trade networks spread Christianity, and it later gained major support from the Roman Empire.

How did religions spread through trade?

Merchants and missionaries carried beliefs between regions, where local populations could adopt and adapt them.

What major religion emerged in Arabia in the 600s CE?

Islam.

Who founded Islam?

Muhammad.

What is a basic belief of Islam?

Belief in one God, Allah, and Muhammad as his prophet.

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

The major religious duties and practices of Muslims.

What was the Abbasid Caliphate known for?

Trade, cultural exchange, scholarship, and Baghdad as a major center.

Why were trade networks important after 600 CE?

They connected Afro-Eurasia and spread goods, religions, technologies, and ideas.

What were the Tang and Song dynasties? |

Major Chinese dynasties during the postclassical period.

What were major developments in Song China? |

Economic growth, trade, urbanization, and technological innovations.

What was Great Zimbabwe?

A powerful African trading state and city in southeastern Africa.

Why did many Classical civilizations decline? |

Political instability, invasions and migrations, economic problems, and environmental pressures contributed to decline.

What is the connection between the Agricultural Revolution and civilization?

Farming created food surpluses, which supported population growth, permanent settlements, specialization, social classes, and governments.

Why were rivers important to early civilizations?

Rivers provided water, fertile soil, transportation, and resources needed for agriculture

How did trade networks affect societies?

They increased economic exchange and spread religions, technologies, ideas, cultures, and diseases.

How did Buddhism and Islam spread?

Both spread partly through merchants and missionaries using expanding trade networks.

What is one major difference between Hinduism and Buddhism?

Hinduism developed from traditions including the Vedas and emphasizes concepts such as reincarnation, while Buddhism was founded by the Buddha and focuses on ending suffering and reaching nirvana.